Strapping support



June 21, 1966 K. HUBER 3,256,882

STRAPPING SUPPORT Filed April 28, 1964 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR. KA EL HUBEQ ATTOENEY United States Patent 3,256,882 STRAPPING SUPPORT Karl Huber, 425 Mt. Prospect Ave, Newark 4, NJ. Filed Apr. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 363,225 12 Claims. (Cl. 128-165) This invention relates to strapping supports and in particular to strapping supports useful about the arms, ankles, wrists, legs and other areas of the anatomy requiring support and relief.

In general, wrist supports and other body area supports are fabricated of cotton fabrics and the like which require taping with adhesives and other types of fasteners such as buckles, clamps, pins, clips and the like and must be slowly applied to the various areas to assure the proper fitting, pressure and no slippage. If the support is not properly applied it requires the removal thereof and a new procedure of wrapping and taping to replace the former strapping. All of this is time-consuming, uncomfortable and rather expensive. Further, many of these strappings are rigid so that no real freedom of movement is capable, and they tend to create undue heat and sweat, all to the discomfort of the user.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved strapping support for the human anatomy, es pecially about the arms, wrists, legs and ankles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a strapping support which is easily and conveniently taped about the support area and firmly adhered thereto, without the usual hardware and tape for adhering the support to the area to be supported.

Another object of the invention is to provide a strapping support which renders the support area flexible and permits free and easy breathing therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a strapping support which avoids sweat and moisture about the support area and maintains a degree of coolness, all to the comfort of the wearer of the support.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a strapping support which is non-slipping, durable, economical to make, use and wear, non-constricting, easily conformed to the support area, quickly applied and removed,

washable and re-usable.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from a reading of the specifications and a study of the accompanying drawings and wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows in perspective the support strapping according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 shows a view through the line 22 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 shows a view through the line 33 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3A shows a view through the line 3a-3a of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 shows in perspective a fragmented portion of the support strapping fabric and particularly to the weave of the various fibers which make up the strapping. FIGURE 5 shows in perspective the support strapping as it is wrapped around a body portion to sustain and provide support thereto.

Now describing the invention, there is shown in FIG- URES 1 to 3 a support strapping 1 comprising an elongated flat woven fabric rectangular base 2 coated or laminated with a layer '3 of polyurethane compound. There is adhered to the laminated side of the base at one extremity thereof a special fabric or nylon tape member 4 having relatively heavy gauge nylon fibers attached thereto and integrated therewith in the form ofhooks 4a and representing one member of a fastening pair for purposes of producing a bonding or adhesive effect on the support strapping when operatively supporting the support area to be affected.

3,256,882 Patented June 21, 1966 On the fabric side of the base 2 intermediate the extremities there is adhered a pair of spaced elongated rectangular relatively small fabric or nylon base strap members 5, 6, the adhesion to the fabric base 2 taking place at one of their extremities as shown in FIGURE 3A, the same in each case, leaving the remainder of the straps free ,to move pivotally about the adhered end and relative to ized portion of the fabric base 2 and is essentially composed of twisted yarn or cotton 10 extending in the warp or longitudinal direction with strands of crimped nylon fibers 11 interposed and spaced therebetween at discrete intervals in the same direction. Transverse to the warp direction fibers there is woven cotton yarns 12 to complete the fabric base. The fabric is then made to undergo a shrinking process, as for example by washing, to permit the fabric to have a stretch characteristic by virtue of the twisted yarns in the warp direction and with no attendant stretch in the transverse direction. The insertion of the elastic nylon fibers assures strength qualities in the stretch or longitudinal direction of the fabric during its use as a support.

The coating or lamination of the polyurethane to the fabric base previously mentioned permits the support to retain its soft, cool and comfortable qualities heretofore not available by the use of the fabric alone, while also permitting the elastic or stretch to remain in the fabric base. This quality of the polyurethane not aifecting the stretch in the fabric assures a sturdy and effective strapping 'support and allows it to be easily and conveniently applied to any area requiring such support without being concerned as to the size of the area. For example, in the use of such support about the wrist, the wrist size is not pertinent since the support can be easily stretched and fitted to the area of the wrist in question, as shown in FIGURE 5.

It may be appreciated that although cotton and nylon elastic yarns have been shown other elastic yarns may be used such as rubber yarns and any of the synthetic fibers in present day use.

Having described the invention what is claimed is: 1. A strapping support for a support area comprising, (a) an elongated elastic fabric base having twisted fibers pre-shrunk in the warp direction with crimped elastic synthetic fibers interposed therebetween at spaced discrete intervals and fibers woven transverse to the twisted and crimped fibers, (b) a polyurethane layer coated to the said base and integrated therewith, and (c) dual securing means comprising spaced parallel longitudinally extending strap members having closed loops woven therein, each strap being adhered to one end only to the fabric base layer intermediate the ends thereof, a tape member adhered to the polyurethane layer at one end thereof andincluding hook members for cooperative engagement with the loops of said strap members when the support is confined to the support area. 2. A strapping support according to claim 1 and wherein the fibers are cotton.

3. A strapping support according to claim 1 and wherein the fibers are rubber.

4. A strapping support according to claim 1 and wherein the synthetic fibers are nylon.

5. A strapping support according to claim 1 and wherein the securing means includes interlocking fiber members attached to the said base and polyurethane layer and disposed to become secured when the support is confined to the support area.

6. A strapping support according to claim 5 and Wherein the said interlocking fiber members are hooks and loops shaped and disposed to interlock when in contact.

7. A method for making a strapping support for a support area comprising,

(a) weaving a fabric base of twisted pre-shrunk fibers in the warp direction with crirnped synthetic elastic fibers interposed therebetween at discrete intervals and fibers extending in the transverse direction,

(b) laminating the fabric base with a coating of polyurethane, and

(c) adhering fastener straps to the fabric and adhering a complementary fastener tape to the polyurethane layer, said fastener straps including interlocking fiber members secured to said fabric base for cooperative engagement with the fastener tape seccured to the polyurethane layer to permit the adherence of the support to the support area.

8. A method for making a strapping support according to claim 7 and wherein the twisted fibers are cotton.

9. A method for making a strapping support according to claim 7 and wherein the twisted fiber is rubber.

10. A method for making a strapping support according to claim 7 and wherein the synthetic fiber is nylon.

11. A method for making a strapping support according to claim 7 and wherein the fastener includes a pair of interlocking fiber members disposed to become secured when the support is confined to the support area.

12. A method for making a strapping support according to claim 11 and wherein the said interlocking fiber members are hook and looped shaped and disposed to interlock when in contact.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,823,444 2/1958 Davies et al. 28-76 3,033,201 5/1962 Olsen 128156 3,054,400 9/1962 Lizio 128163 3,086,529 4/1963 Munz et a1. 128327 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A STRAPPING SUPPORT FOR A SUPPORT AREA COMPRISING, (A) AN ELONGATED ELASTIC FABRIC BASE HAVING TWISTED FIBERS PRE-SHRUNK IN THE WARP DIRECTION WITH CRIMPED ELASTIC SYNTHETIC FIBERS INTERPOSED THEREBETWEEN AT SPACED DISCRETE INTERVALS AND FIBERS WOVEN TRANSVERSE TO THE TWISTED AND CRIMPED FIBERS, (B) A POLYURETHANE LAYER COATED TO THE SAID BASE AND INTEGRATED THEREWITH, AND (C) DUAL SECURING MEANS COMPRISING SPACED PARALLEL LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING STRAP MEMBERS HAVING CLOSED LOOPS WOVEN THEREIN, EACH STRAP BEING ADHERED TO ONE END ONLY TO THE FABRIC BASE LAYER INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, A TAPE MEMBER ADHERED TO THE POLYURETHENE LAYER AT ONE END THEREOF AND INCLUDING HOOK MEMBERS FOR COOPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LOOPS OF SAID STRAP MEMBERS WHEN THE SUPPORT IS CONFINED TO THE SUPPORT AREA. 